Canning.



M. E. DUNKLEY.

CANNING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 1917.

1 ,270,798. Patented Jul 2, 1918..

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I INVENTOR. WITNESSES Me/V/Y/e flunk/ey & W ATTORNEYS.

MELVILLE E. DUNKLEY, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

CANNING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1918.

Application filed April 9, 1917. Serial No. 160,820.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVILLE E. DUNK- LEY a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Kalamazoo, State 'of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canning, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in canning.

The objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an improved canning process in which the material to be canned is cooked and sterilized, delivered into sterile cans in a sterile atmosphere, and sterile tops are delivered to and sealed on said cans, all of said operations being conducted in a sterile atmosphere.

Second, to provide an improved canning process in WhlCh reviously sterilized material is delivered mto cans, tops are put on the cans and sealed thereon, all of said operations being carried on under live steam thus maintaining a sterile atmosphere and insuring complete and perfect sterilization.

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of construction and operation will definitely appear from the machine, the sterilizers and storage tank being omitted and the can filling device being shown in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. I, the front part of this machine being omitted for convenience in illustration.

Fi III is an enlarged top plan view showing the front part of the machine which is omitted from Fig. II.

In the drawing, similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawing, 1, 1 are the sterilizers in which the material to be canned is cooked and sterilized before being delivered to the cans. Each of these sterilizers is filled through a hopper 2 provided with a cut-off valve 3. The sterilizer is also provided with an'exhaust head 4 provided with the usual battle plates to prevent the liquid contents from bemg blown out of said exhaust, and with the cut-off valve 5. The sterilizer is surrounded by a steam jacket 6 into which steam is introduced under pressure for the purpose of heating the contents to the sterilizing point. Suitably journaled in the top of the sterilizer is the shaft 7 driven by a sprocket 9 suitably connected with a source of power and provided with a plurality of paddles 8. These paddles are for agitating the material in the sterilizer and for keeping it constantly moving so that it will not stick to the walls and scorch. The sterilizer is provided with a gage 10, a pressure age 11 and a thermometer 12. I provi e as man of these sterilizers as is necessary to supply the canning machine properly and each of them is connected by means of a pipe 13 having a cut-off valve 14, with a stora e tank 15, from which storage tank the sterilized material is delivered to the cans.

This storage tank is also provided with a steam jacket 16'into which cold water may be introduced to cool the contents or steam if necessary to raise it to the desired point. A shaft 17 is suitably journaled in said tank and said shaft is provided with a plurality of paddles 18 for agitating the contents, the shaft 17 being driven by a sprocket 19 connected with a suitable source of power. The tank is also provided with a gage 20 and 'a thermometer 21. There is a suitable opening in the lower end of said tank which is connected with a measuring device 24.- which measures out and delivers to each can as it is brought beneath it, a quantity of material sufiicient to fill the same.

I provide a steam chest 23 of approximately the height of the cans, said steam chest 23 being supported upon standards 25, 25. At both ends of said steam chest are provided supports 26, 26, which carry the sprocket wheels 27, 27, carrying the endless chain conveyer 28, which is provided at suitable intervals with upstandinglugs 29. At the rear end of the machine there is provided, upon the same shaft that carries the sprocket wheel 27 a stop wheel 30 which is actuated by a stop mechanism 31 carried by the shaft 40 so as to drive the said the cans to carr sprocket Wheel 28 with an intermittent rotary movement.

At the bottom of the steam chest 23 are Ways 32, 32 upon which the bottom of the can 33 rests'as it is carried through the steam chest. The conveyer 28 runs between said ways and the upstanding lugs 29 project so as to catch the bottom of'each of y them through the steam chest.

Steam is introduced into the steam chest by means of a steam pipe 34 provided wlth a plurality of branches 35 so spaced that, in the operation of the machine, as the cans are carried forward with an intermittent -movement, a can is stopped directly beneath each of the branches 35 so the steam under high pressure may be injected directly into the can to thoroughly sterilize the same. I also provide a steam pipe 36 provided with a plurality of branches 37 toward the rear end of the steam chest so that steam under high pressure is injected upon the cans as they are about to leave the steam chest. This insures the steam chest being filled with live steam under high pressure throughout its entire length so that as the cans are carried through said steam chest they are enveloped by live steam. A plurality of drain pipes 38, 38 are provided in the bottom of said steam chest to carry off the condensed moisture.

Power is applied to the machine by means of the driving pulley 39 which drives the shaft 40 and the longitudinally extending shaft 42 is driven by a bevel gear connection 41 with the shaft 40. The longitudinally extending shaft 44 is also suitably connected so as to rotate with the shaft 42. 24 is the measuring mechanism which at predetermined intervals ineasures a quantity of material from the storage'tank suflicient to fill one of the cans and delivers it to the can which is brought into line with the discharge opening of said measuring device. This mechanism is operated by means of the connections 43 and 45 with the shafts42 and 44 respectively, and said mechanism is so timed that as the cans are brought forward with an intermittent movement and each can comes to rest beneath the dicharge opening of the measuring mechanism 24, this mechanism willbe operated to deliver the required quantity of sterilized material into the sterilized can which has been brought into position toreceive it.

From the measuring and delivering mech anism the cans are carried forward by the intermittent movement of the chain 28 to the top feeding mechanism 46. The tops which are supplied to the cans are carried by the cylinders 47, 47, which are mounted upon the rotatable turn table 49, the tops being delivered by the mechanism from one of said cylinders While the other cylinder able,

is being filled with fresh tops by an operator. Steam is introduced into these cylinders 47 by means of a steam pipe 48 so that the tops which are to be placed upon the cans are thoroughly sterilized before they are delivered. This delivery mechanism, as each can is brought beneath it, separates one too from the supply of tops and deposits it upon the can. This operation is conducted entirely in the steam chest so that the can and top are entirely enveloped by live steam.

From said top feeding mechanism the cans are carried forward by the intermittent movement of the chain to the sealing mechanism 50, which at the proper interval fastens and hermetically seals on said cans the sterilized tops previously placed thereon. This operation is also conducted in the presence of live steam and under sterile conditions. From this mechanism the cans are carried beneath the steam pipe 37, 37 and discharged from the rear end of the machine.

I have not particularly described the measuring mechanism 24, the top feeding mechanism 46, nor the sealing mechanism 5O. Mechanisms of this type are all old and well known in the art and any one'of these old and well known mechanisms suited to this purpose may be used in this connection. The particular mechanism which is used to ac complish these operations forms no part of w my invention.

In carrying out my invention the material to be canned is introduced into the sterilizer 1 through the hopper 2. Steam is introduced into the steam jacket 6, the pressure and temperature at which said steam is introduced varying according to the sterilizing temperature desired, dependmg upon the material which is being sterilized. It will be apparent that other methods of applying. heat, such as preheated air, may be used in place of steam. The temperature is maintained until sterilization is accomplished. The revolving shaft 7 provided-with the paddles .8 violently agitates the contents so as to insure uniform heating. This also keeps the material from sticking 11 to the walls of the sterilizer and scorching.

While I have shown and described steam jacketed sterilizers, nevertheless for some kinds-of work the introduction of livesteam directly into the material would be desirand I consider such a practice as Within the spirit of my invention.

After the temperature has been kept at the sterilizing point for the required length of time, the valve 5 in the exhaust head is 12 5' termittent forward movement.

head when the valve 5is opened. The valve" 14 in the discharge pipe 13 is then opened and the contents of the sterilizer discharged into the storage tank 15. The jacket 16 of the storage tank 15 is provided so that cold water or steam may be introduced for controlling the temperature of the sterilized material contained therein. also provided with a revolving shaft carrying paddles to thoroughly agitate the material.

In the lower end of the storage tank there is provided the discharge opening 22 leading into a measuring and feeding device 24. The steam chest 23 is suitably supported below said hopper, and chain 28 carries the cans to be filled through said steam chest, the stop movement giving the chain an in- The cans are placed upon the ways 32 and the lugs 29 on the chain engage said cans to carry them forward through the steam chest.

As the cans are carried forward in the steam chest they are brought to rest beneath the steam pipes 35 which are supplied with steam under pressure and at a sterilizing temperature. This steam is discharged in jets directly into the interior of the cans so that all the air in the cans is forced out and they are completely filled with live steam. This completely sterilizes the cans and also fills this end of the steam chest with live steam.

Passing from the steam jets the empty cans are brought to rest beneath the measuring device 24 which measures and delivers to the sterilized cans from the storage tank a quantity of sterilized material sufiicient to fill the cans. These cans have been previously sterilized by the steam jets 35 and the steam chest in which they are disposed is filled with live steam.

From the measuring device, the cans are carried forward by the chain to the top feeding device 46 by means of which, as each can is brought to rest, a top is separated from the supply of tops and is deposited upon the can. These tops are stored in cylinders 47 and steam is admitted under pressure and at a sterilizing temperature to these cylinders so that the tops are thoroughly sterilized before they are deposited upon the cans. Some of this steam also finds its way into the steam chest 23 so that this pipe also serves as an additional means for supplying live steam to the steam chest.

From the top feeding mechanism the cans are carried forward by the intermittent movement of the chain to the sealing device 50 which at proper intervals operates to fasten and hermetically seal the sterilized tops upon the sterilized cans and contents. This operation is also conducted within the steam chest in the presence of live steam. Beyondthe sealing device, I provide a steam plpe' This tank is 36 through which steam is supplied under pressure, said steam pipe being provided with a plurality of branches 37 discharging into the steam chest. By means of these steam pipes I insure the presence of live steam throughout the entire length of the.

steam chest so that the cans during their entire progress through the latter are enveloped and surrounded by live steam and are in a sterile atmosphere. The introduction of this live steam displaces and keeps out the non-sterile air. At the rear end of the steam chest the cans are removed from the machine. 7

By means of my improved process of canning the entire operation of cooking and sterilizing the material to be canned, delivering said material to the sterilized cans, placing sterilized tops upon said cans and sealing said tops is carried on under live steam and is entirely automatic. In view of the fact that this operation is carried on under live steam it is absolutely impossible for any living germ to come in contact with the material and in view of the fact that it is thoroughly sterilized in this manner it is not necessary to sterilize the material to be canned after it is sealed in the can, as has been customary heretofore. By means of this improved process the quality of the product is greatly improved and the time necessary for carrying it out is greatly lessened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The canning process consisting of first subjecting the material to be canned to a sterilizing temperature for a length of time suflicient to insure sterilization, injecting steam at a sterilizing temperature into the cans to be filled, surrounding said cans with a sterile vapor and maintaining said vapor, filling said cans with the sterile material, subjecting the tops for said cans to steam at a sterilizing temperature, placing said tops on said filled cans in sterile vapor, and hermetically sealing the tops upon said cans in said sterile vapor, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

2. The canning process consisting in sterilizing material to be canned, sterilizing the cans to be filled and surrounding them with live steam, filling said cans with the sterile material while the cans are surrounded by said live steam, sterilizing the tops to be placed on said cans, placing said tops on said cans while they are surrounded by said live steam, and hermetically sealing the tops to said cans in said live steam, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

3. The canning process consisting in sterilizing the material to be canned, sterilizing filling said cans with sterile material, placing sterile tops on said sterile cans, and sealing said tops on saidcans, all of said 0 erations being conducted in an envelop 0 said sterile vapor, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

4. The canning process consisting of introducing the cans to be filled into a sterile atmosphere, sterilizing said cans, filling conditions, sterilizing the cans to be filled and surrounding them with live steam, filling said cans with the sterile material while the cans are surrounded by said live steam,

placing sterile tops on said cans While they are surrounded by said live steam, and sealing the tops to said cans in said live steam, substantially as described and for the purpose specified. V

6. The canning process consisting in ster ilizing the material to be canned in bulk,

storing said material under sterile condi-, tions, introducing the cans to be filled into a sterile atmosphere, filling said cans with the sterile material, and sealin tops on said cans, all of said operations eing conducted without passing from said sterile atmosphere, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

7. The canning process consisting of introducing the cans to be filled into a sterile atmosphere, .sterilizing said cans; filling said cans with sterile. material, and hermetically sealing sterile tops on said cans, all of said operations being conducted without passing from said sterile atmosphere, substantially as described (for the purpose 8. The canning process consisting of introducing cans to be filled into a sterile atmosphere, filling said cans with sterile,

material, and sealing tops on said cans, all of said operations being'conducted without passing from said sterile atmosphere, substantiall'y as described for i the purpose specified.

, In witness whereof,- I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

MELVILLE E. DUNKLEY. [L. 5.] Witnesses:

LUELLA G. GREENFIELD,

MARGARET L. GLASGOW. 

